U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio’s first stop in the Philippines, part of a week-long official tour of three Pacific Rim nations, was Tacloban, a city recently devastated in November by Typhoon Haiyan, known locally as Typhoon Yolanda.
It the latest visit in the Florida Senator’s first official trip to the Asia-Pacific region since his election to Congress.
Rubio serves as the highest-ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations East Asian and Pacific Affairs Subcommittee and a member of the Select Committee on Intelligence.
The tour included visits to areas most affected by Yolanda, speaking with first-hand eyewitnesses, and assisting with relief efforts.
“It was painful to see the devastation in Tacloban and hear the tragic stories of people there. But I also saw encouraging evidence of Filipinos who are determined to rebuild their lives and country,” Rubio said. “The United States has an indispensable role to play in these recovery efforts by providing humanitarian and military assistance, including several of our men and women in uniform who I was honored to meet today.
“Our friends in the Philippines are resilient and strong, but they need our continued support,” he added. “The United States must remain strongly engaged in helping the Filipino get back on their feet.”
Rubio will travel to South Korea on Thursday to meet with U.S. troops, visit President Park Geun-hye, and deliver a speech to Korea’s Asan Institute for Policy Studies in Seoul on Friday.
Regular updates on the trip can be found through his personal Twitter account @MarcoRubio, as well as posted photos and information on his website.
Photos are courtesy of Sen. Marco Rubio:
